Preparing for the birth of a child can be an overwhelming experience. Your body is changing in remarkable ways (okay - sometimes not so remarkable), your to-do list is growing, and your energy level may not be what it used to be to get all of this stuff done.

I spent the first few months (when I wasn't puking) creating an action plan and forming my team to help me through pregnancy, labour and delivery, and post-partum care. I thought you might benefit from my plan of action to help you shape your own:

1. Naturopathic Doctor: My naturopathic doctors have always been in my corner. I have worked with a few over the years to help me overcome depression, manage anxiety, survive an ectopic pregnancy, achieve two healthy pregnancies, and help me throughout the pregnancies and post-partum with counsel on nutrition, proper supplementation, regular blood work to assess for deficiencies and irregularities, as well as treatments for sleepless nights, cramp-y legs, terrible morning (all day) sickness and headaches. Us NDs are here with you every step of the way!

2. Midwife or OB/GYN: I had worked closely with my OB/GYN, Dr. Yaakov Bentov, MD of TRIO Fertility after the loss of my 1st pregnancy in the spring of 2015 to ensure that my first viable pregnancy was not going to be ectopic, too. At the 8 week mark (and after two ultrasounds) he gave me the all clear to choose my care provider. Since Dr. Bentov focuses on reproductive endocrinology, he no longer delivers babies. I decided to go with a midwife for my first pregnancy because I wanted to ensure thorough, natural care with as few interventions as possible. My midwife, Mei Luo, RM, works with Family Care Midwives in Vaughan. I met with her frequently to discuss family history, my health history, nutrition, pre-natal care, home birth education (although, I have chosen to have a hospital birth), pain management techniques, and, of course, to get measured, weighed, requisitioned (for ultrasounds and testing), and to hear baby's beautiful heartbeat. I feel very supported and cared for, and love knowing that she will be in attendance at my birth. She was present at the birth of my first child, but did not deliver because I developed pregnancy-induced hypertension. My care was transferred to the OB/GYN on staff. My midwife stayed with me, and attended to me after the birth. I also had frequent check ups following the birth up to the 6-week mark.

For my 2nd pregnancy, I was not able to work with midwives due to my high-risk status given my previous pregnancy-induced hypertension issue. I worked with an OB/GYN from the start of the pregnancy with my son. It was certainly a different experience than working with midwives given that visits were shorter, I wasn’t able to call with questions, he did not deliver my child, and there is only one follow-up visit at the 6-week mark. For this reason, I was determined to work with a doula throughout my pregnancy and for delivery. I wanted to a consistent care provider who would also be present at the birth. See more on this next.

3. Naturopathic Doula: Working with a doula throughout my pregnancies, labour and deliveries was never an option! It was always a must! I knew I would need someone to coach me (and my husband) through this experience. My doulas have also been naturopathic doctors, which means I get all the benefits of naturopathic medicine during my labour - acupuncture, botanicals, homeopathy, and more. Plus, I get all the benefits of a doula - coaching, support, pre- & post-natal care for me and baby. Often, working with a naturopathic doula will mean your care is covered by extended medical benefits under your ND coverage. Bonus!

4. Acupuncturist: I have been working with Anne Matthews, LAc of Energy Tree Acupuncture since fall of 2015. I initially saw her when I was going completely out of my mind studying for a huge exam. After I completed my exam, I started seeing her for acupuncture to increase my chances of conceiving. Acupuncture is certainly something I am trained in as an ND, but for me it made more sense to see someone completely dedicated to this and close to where I live. After successfully conceiving my daughter, I worked with Anne once each month to keep me balanced during my pregnancy. In fact, her treatments helped me overcome incredible nausea, backaches, and headaches all related to the little human growing in my womb. I also worked with to Anne to help induce my labour for both my daughter and my son.

5. Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist: I began working with a pelvic floor physiotherapist in the fall of 2015 to ensure there was no residual scarring after my ectopic pregnancy. I was already having issues with feelings of heaviness and peeing a little when sneezing, and I did not want these to continue during pregnancy or after. I continued to work with her throughout both pregnancies to keep my pelvic floor balanced, strong, and leak-free before and after delivery, and to avoid diastasis recti - the dreaded splitting of abdominal muscles leading the "mummy tummy". The Ab System is also something I also have used after both pregnancies.

6. Pre Natal Pilates, Fitness and/or Yoga Instructor: I also used the Bump Method pre-natal pilates videos developed by Nikki Bergen. I use the 50-minute workout twice each week. I also worked with a personal trainer at the gym to learn how to properly adjust my workouts during pregnancy. Eventually, I switched to Natalie Hodson’s at-home pregnancy workouts.

7. Hypnobirthing: My husband and I took this awesome labour prep course. This course taught us how to stay calm through labour, release fear, and breathe. It's like advanced Lamaze. I am also took Dr. Corinne Brown, ND's Love Your Labour course to help me be adequately prepared for the big event!

8. Lactation Consultant: My midwives and doulas were able to provide excellent guidance on breastfeeding before and after my babies were born, but I also took an online course called Prenatal Breastfeeding Companion developed by my colleague Dr. Laura Kent-Davidson, ND, who is also a lactation consultant.

9. Meditation: MY DAILY SAVING GRACE! I have been using Andy Puddicombe's Headspace meditation app for years. He has a specially designed 30-day program for Pregnancy, which I have been using daily to get in the right headspace - literally. It helps me enter my day calmly and gives me time to connect with baby.

As you can see, I have taken a headfirst dive into preparing my prenatal team. It's important to me to be surrounded by love, support and excellent guidance as I make my way into motherhood.

After having delivered baby Grayson back in 2016, and now having been to the hospital with false labour twice for upcoming baby boy, I feel I’ve got labour & delivery kit packing in the bag (pun definitely intended).

My list below represents a collection of both lists I’ve received, and also personal experience. The items listed here are primarily for the expectant mother, so don’t forget to pack for the birth partner and the baby, too.

Labour & Delivery Kit:

Snacks - This can be anything from bars, to fruit, to nuts and seeds

Electrolyte Solution - I’ve used Ener-C packets in the past, but any will do.

Sweater and/or Robe - It does get cold & feeling comfy is so important. Especially if you’re at the hospital in gown walking around with your backside on display!

Slippers and/or Warm Socks - I have a pair of socks that are like slippers with cozy fleece inside and sticky treads on the bottom. These are awesome!

Phone - This will be used to listen to music, meditations, birth affirmations, take photos, time contractions, etc.

Phone Charger - Of course!

Birth Plan - 3 copies

Toiletries

Wallet

Camera and/or video camera - If you want to have crystal clear documentation.

Place tomatoes on your baking sheet. Drizzle generously with olive oil. Sprinkle with thyme and minced garlic. Season with sea salt and ground pepper. Don’t be shy with your salt & pepper. They add great flavour.

I loooooove gingerbread. It's one of my favourite holiday items, but I have been very put off by how dry it can be and how much sugar can be in it. Over the last two holiday seasons I have worked hard to develop a moist and delicious paleo gingerbread loaf recipe. This is in loaf form rather than cookie dough form, but I like it better.

Kid-Friendly Option: If you want to make it more fun for your kids you can line a cookie sheet with Silpat or parchment paper and place a number of different coconut oil-greased cookie cutters on the baking sheet. Then fill the cookie cutters with gingerbread batter. This will adjust the cooking time to 25 minutes instead of 35.

Ingredients:

3 eggs (if you would like to omit eggs, you can use this flax egg recipe instead)

I am thrilled to be offering a Fine Fettle Tea Holiday Tea Bundle as my 3rd giveaway of the Gives & Gratitude season.

Fine Fettle Tea is a tea company run by my dear friend and naturopathic doctor colleague, Dr. Melissa Bingeman, ND. She prides creating beautiful tea blends that are locally sourced, of the highest quality - and taste delicious, of course.

This bundle includes her Holiday Blend, Doctor’s Detox & Digestive. All perfect for the holiday season.

Just in time for the holidays, this recipe will knock your breakfast socks off, while not completely destroying your dietary goals. The spices make for a wonderful blood-sugar balancing, anti-inflammatory bonus, while also providing lots of flavour.

My 2-year-old daughter helped me make these this week & they are totally yum!

This soup came to be after the need for a major fridge clean out. We had potatoes and leeks needing to be used. Throw in some white beans and you’ve got a delicious, warming, and well-balanced supper in no time flat.

INGREDIENTS:

3 medium-sized baking potatoes, cubed into 1/2 inch

3 large leeks, ends and greens sliced off, cut lengthwise and rinsed, and then cut width-wise into slices

This sounds like a weird Thanksgiving party! Lol! In fact, it's a spin on the typical mashed potatoes with some fun ingredients like rutabaga and celery root. I mean, when else would you try these funky root veggies?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Ingredients:

1 celery root, peeled and chopped into 1” chunks

1 large rutabaga, peeled and chopped into 1” chunks

4 Yukon gold potatoes (choose organic, if possible, as potatoes are on the Dirty Dozen+ list), peeled and chopped into 1” chunks

1/2 cup grass-fed butter, ghee or coconut oil (you may need more for improved creaminess and flavour to your liking)

Sea salt, to tase

Black pepper to taste

Methods:

Place celery root, rutabaga, and potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Add a dash of salt, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and let simmer until the root vegetables are soft - approximately 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add leeks and cook until soft. Then add until and cook until just soft, but not burning. Take off the heat and set aside.

Drain the cooked root vegetables, add in the garlic, leeks and butter. Smash until creamy. You can also use a handmixer, or blend in a Vitamix for ultimate creaminess.

Magnesium is an absolute wonder mineral. It has so many different functions within the body, and so very many of us are deficient in it. Including me! I’ve been on magnesium for years and years. It helps me sleep better, recover better from exercise, helps reduce stress, and alleviates a chronic eye twitch.

Before I dive into the many benefits, here’s a quick survey you can run yourself through to determine whether or not you are magnesium deficient:

Regular muscle cramps and twitches?

Anxiety?

Irregular heart rhythm?

Regular headaches?

High blood pressure?

Asthma?

Poor memory?

Insomnia?

Dysmenorrhea (really bad period cramps)?

Adrenal fatigue?

Poor memory?

Did you answer yes to any of these? If so, you may be deficient in magnesium.

Magnesium is the 4th most abundant mineral in the body and is involved in about 300 different biochemical reactions in your body. However, up to 90% of us are deficient in magnesium because of soil depletion from over-farming and pesticide use, poor gut function, poor nutrition, high levels of stress, and medications that can reduce magnesium

Magnesium can be tested via the blood by doing a test called RBC magnesium, but a trial of magnesium can also be done to determine if it is beneficial for you without doing any testing.

There are many different forms of magnesium on the market. In fact, I spend a lot of my time in clinic sussing out whether or not a patient is taking the right kind of magnesium, and whether or not the dosage is correct.

You can get magnesium from your diet from greens like spinach, dark chocolate, pumpkin seeds, avocado, figs, and bananas, but It can often be hard to get enough.

Fun fact? Did you know that when you crave chocolate (especially near your period) you are often craving magnesium!

Malate, glycinate, and citrate are the most well-absorbed forms. Malate is typically used in cases of fibromyalgia, glycinate is used for a broad range of magnesium deficiency conditions, and citrate is often used to alleviate constipation.

Active doses of magnesium are 400-500mg, but this can cause gastrointestinal upset in some people.

I'd be happy to help you determine whether or not you are in need off magnesium. Bring it up at your next visit, or come on in for 15-minute complimentary meet & greet if you aren't one of my patients just yet.

Please Note: Before beginning any supplement, it’s best to speak with your healthcare provider to determine if it is right for you.

Did you know that one of my favourite things to do is create lame recipe names? I think I really excelled on this one ;)

Peaches are in season right now and we’ve got to use them up, but I was a bit tired of the typical scones, muffins and cobblers, so I created a peach salad that can be used as an appetizer or side dish at dinner.

Fun Fact: While not abundantly high in magnesium, peaches do contain some. Hurray! We’ve come full circle now.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 pounds heirloom tomatoes, washed and coarsely chopped

1 pound ripe peaches, pealed, pitted and chopped

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon tamari

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup mint leaves torn into small pieces

1/2 cup basil leaves torn into small pieces

1/4 cup pecans (for garnish)

1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese (for garnish)

Method:

In a small bowl, combine vinegar of your choice, lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, and tamari. Whisk until combined.

In a serving bowl, combine red onion, peaches and tomatoes,

Pour the dressing over the mixture in the serving bowl, and toss to combine.

Top with mint, basil, pecans and goat cheese and season with sea salt.

400ml can of chilled coconut milk. Be sure it’s as natural as possible without additives and fillers otherwise it will not separate appropriately. After it has chilled overnight, there should be a thick cream layer and a liquid layer.

1 tsp honey or maple syrup

1/4 tsp vanilla

Methods:

In a medium-sized glass bowl combine almond milk, vanilla, salt and maple syrup. Add the chia seeds and stir until well combined.

Place in the fridge overnight or for 3 hours.

Place your can of coconut milk in a medium-sized mixing bowl and place in the fridge to chill overnight, too. Be careful not to shake the coconut cream as it will not separate properly.

The next morning, once the chia pudding has set, add in the quartered strawberries. Reserve a few for garnish.

Prepare your whipped coconut cream by opening the can and scraping out the thickened cream layer. Do not use the liquid.

Mix on high for 5 minutes, then add in honey and vanilla. Then continue mixing for another 10 minutes, or until the cream is fluffy and holding peaks.

Separate the chia pudding into your serving bowls and top with coconut cream and remaining strawberries.

I mean, who doesn't love a delicious mojito, but adding strawberries and raspberries ups the antioxidant quota and gives it a fresh spin.

Enjoy!

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup water

2 handfuls fresh mint leaves, washed

6 ice cubes

1 pound fresh organic strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced

1 pint raspberries

Juice of 2 limes

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

Method:

To make your simple syrup: combine honey, water and 1 handful of mint leaves in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until the honey is completely dissolved into the water. Remove from the heat, remove the mint leaves, and let cool for up to 30 minutes.

Place 1/2 of the strawberries, 1/2 of the raspberries along with the lime juice, simple syrup and ice. Blend until smooth.

Pour into a tall glass until half full. Add sparkling water and remaining raspberries, strawberries and mint leaves. Garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary.

*P.S. You can make it real cocktail by adding an ounce of rum to each glass ;)

Every summer (and occasionally throughout the year) my husband and I are asked to whip up our famous guacamole. I don't even know how it came together, but people really seem to enjoy it.

In light of the holidays upon us this weekend I thought I would share this delicious guacamole recipe with you. It will keep you satisfied and nourished so you can enjoy all of your weekend activities.

Start by mixing the basics (avocados, tomatoes, and purple onion) in a serving bowl. Add garlic, lime juice and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Now comes the fun part: taste the guacamole and adjust as necessary. We usually add in more lime, garlic and cilantro.

Note: Mix the pits into the guacamole to keep it from oxidizing and turning brown. If you do need to store the guacamole for later use, be sure to press a layer of plastic wrap directly onto the guacamole to avoid oxidation & discolouration of the mix.

To make mashing a little easier you can try this cool 4-in-1 Avocado Tool from Williams Sonoma. I got it for Christmas a few years ago & it certainly helps my prep.

A new season brings the opportunity for change so that we can continue to grow and improve.

The most recent changes are due to the increased costs associated with running the clinic and the business. All changes are being made to ultimately improve the care you receive and the quality of your overall experience.

Due to recent increases associated with naturopathic licensing fees (similar to this time last year, the College of Naturopaths of Ontario has increased their licensing rates for NDs to stay in practice), malpractice fees, and general running of the clinic (and virtually all small businesses in Ontario), there will be slight increases in my naturopathic fee schedule. I have also undergone a number of extensive continuing education courses this past year that have increased the level of skill I am able to bring to you. This includes advanced SIBO training, several thyroid specific courses, as well as a number of bio-identical hormone courses specifically targeted to help manage your hormone concerns. Please understand we only raise our rates when absolutely necessary, and the last increase was one year ago.

We know your time is precious and we ask that you respect ours and honour your appointment times. To avoid gaps in our schedule that would otherwise be happily filled by patients who are waiting, we have implemented a strict cancellation and no-show policy. If you cancel your appointment with less than 24 hours notice or miss it, we will be billing you 50% of the appointment. All new patients are being asked to leave a credit card on file for their initial visit.

We’re always open to hearing from you on how we can improve our clinic operations and patient experience. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to touch base with us. We’d love to hear from you! You can email us at info@bodyintune.ca or call us at 416-588-0733.

I asked my husband the other day the last time he went out for St. Patrick's Day and he replied "university". Right. I think my last time was in naturopathic medical school about 6 or 7 years ago. So, since green beers have now been replaced by green teas, I thought a green tea recipe would be appropriate today. Especially if you're like me and running around looking after a toddler today instead of running around to different pubs.

I have been experimenting with bulletproof matcha latte's lately.

Here's the product of my hard work in the kitchen...

Ingredients:

1/2-1 tsp matcha green tea (I picked mine up from David's tea)

1 cup almond milk (I know that coconut would technically be more "bulletproof" but I can't stand coconut. Feel free to use coconut milk in your recipe.)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup hot water (Ideally at green tea temperature of about 170 degrees Fahrenheit. One of my favourite purchases of all time - on points, mind you - is my Breville IQ kettle which allows me to pick the water temperature based on the type of tea I'm using. So key for a tea granny like me.)

1 Tbsp Bulletproof MCT oil (or coconut oil - again, I don't like coconut at all so I use the MCT oil)

1 Tbsp ghee

1 scoop collagen protein (I used Organika)

1 tsp raw honey or maple syrup

Methods:

1. Warm milk of your choice in a small saucepan.

2. While it's warming, bring your water to the proper temperature. Once it's ready, place your green tea in a bowl and whisk in the water.

3. Place all ingredients except the protein in a high-powered blender. I use a Vitamix.